Skip to main content

Smoked BBQ Pork with Watercress Salad

Image may contain Food and Steak
Smoked BBQ Pork with Watercress SaladDominique Lafond

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    30 minutes

  • Yield

    Serves 4–6

Ingredients

Pork:

1/2 cup (125 mL) soy sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pork tenderloins
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 handfuls of hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 1 hour
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 cup (250 mL) ice cubes

Watercress salad:

A bunch of watercress, tough stems discarded
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Creamy honey dijon dressing:

2 tablespoons (30 mL) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (5 mL) honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

  1. To marinate the pork:

    Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, ginger, and garlic. Add the pork, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

  2. To smoke the pork:

    Step 2

    Remove the pork from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Pat dry with paper towels. Put the pork on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour to dry out.

  3. Prepare a wok smoker:

    Step 3

    Line a large bamboo steamer with parchment paper. Lay two sheets of foil in the bottom of a wok. Place drained wood chips on top. Turn heat to high. Add water.

    Step 4

    Lay the pork in the bamboo steamer; season with pepper.

    Step 5

    Place ice cubes in a heatproof measuring cup in the steamer next to the pork to create a cold smoke. Set the steamer inside the smoking wok. Cover and smoke, keeping the temperature under 150°F (65°C), for 20 minutes.

    Step 6

    Preheat grill to high. Grill the pork for about 5 minutes on each side. (Pork may also be cooked in a large skillet until browned but still slightly pink inside.)

  4. For the watercress salad:

    Step 7

    In a bowl, toss the watercress with the shallot and eggs. Season with Maldon salt and pepper.

  5. For the creamy honey Dijon dressing:

    Step 8

    In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice; whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, toss the salad with the dressing. Slice the pork and arrange on plates or a platter. Top with the watercress salad.

Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
Recipe from Chuck's Day Off, by Chuck Hughes, Copyright © 2014, published by Harper.
Read More
A pinch of sugar in the spice rub ensures picture-perfect grill marks with layers of flavor.
A little shrimp paste goes a long, long, long way in this delicious vegetable dish.
A satisfying weeknight dinner from Tiffy Chen. Serve with rice or noodles.
Leftover rotisserie chicken finds new purpose in this endlessly comforting dish.
Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.
With haricots verts and crispy chickpeas, this two-bean salad will wow any party or potluck.
A jar of orange marmalade and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary pack a ton of wintry flavor into this celebratory meaty centerpiece.
An espresso- and cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.